The Laugh Bug

With much fanfare, the Swedish division of Volkswagen recently announced the outcome of its Fun Theory innovation challenge. The announcement took place at a real news conference, held in an actual Volkswagen showroom in Stockholm, with the grand-prize winner, American Kevin Richardson, receiving a bona fide check in the amount of about $3,500 for his proposal to reward drivers who stick to the speed limit by giving them a chance to win a lottery jackpot. The press event was the latest chapter in Volkswagen's Fun Theory campaign, launched this past fall to encourage consumers to associate the company's BlueMotion turbo-diesel vehicles with the idea of enjoyment — with almost all of the campaign taking place not in the "real world" but the virtual realm of the internet.
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MARK DERY

Bunker of Broken Dreams

Blogger Geoff Manaugh is the acknowledged auteur of architecture fiction. On BLDGBLOG, Manaugh reads our built — and unbuilt — environments like a cultural radiologist, scanning them for evidence of social pathologies, symptoms of the post-apocalyptic. It's the thrillingly sci-fi sweep of Manaugh's critical worldview that makes "Landscapes of Quarantine," the group show he curated with Nicola Twilley, so disappointing.
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AMANDA HURLEY

Hold Your Sawhorses!

A furniture show and collection riffs on the similarity of the Portuguese words luxo (luxury) and lixo (rubbish).
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CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

Rising Currents

Report on "Rising Currents," an exhibition of New York City design solutions to the flooding predicted by climate change experts, which will be on view at the Museum of Modern Art, March 24–August 9, 2010.
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UPCOMING CONFERENCE: MAY 10, 2010

Design Research Conference 2010

Sponsored by IIT's Institute of Design, this 9th DRC will be a conversation about the new frontiers of design research. It will host the world's most compelling stories about the human condition and unmet needs. It will be a stimulating place to learn the most innovative new research methods. It will address the challenges facing the industry head on. Finally, it will continue to explore how design research can help us address the grand challenge of bringing meaningful things into the world.

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RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED

Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean
Roberto Verganti

Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model
John Mullins & Randy Komisar

A Fine Line: How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business
Hartmut Esslinger


WEEKLY EMAIL: APRIL 22, 2010
FEATURED THIS WEEK : JANE MARGOLIES The Laugh Bug With much fanfare, the Swedish division of Volkswagen recently announced the outcome of its Fun Theory innovation challenge. The announcement took place at a real news conference, held in an actual Volkswagen showroom in Stockholm, with the grand-prize winner, American Kevin Richardson, receiving a bona fide check in the amount of about $3,500 for his proposal to reward drivers who stick to the speed limit by giving them a chance to win a lottery jackpot. The press event was the latest chapter in Volkswagen's Fun Theory campaign, launched this past fall to encourage consumers to associate the company's BlueMotion turbo-diesel vehicles with the idea of enjoyment — with almost all of the campaign taking place not in the "real world" but the virtual realm of the internet. READ MORE
MARK DERY Bunker of Broken Dreams Blogger Geoff Manaugh is the acknowledged auteur of architecture fiction. On BLDGBLOG, Manaugh reads our built — and unbuilt — environments like a cultural radiologist, scanning them for evidence of social pathologies, symptoms of the post-apocalyptic. It's the thrillingly sci-fi sweep of Manaugh's critical worldview that makes "Landscapes of Quarantine," the group show he curated with Nicola Twilley, so disappointing. READ MORE AMANDA HURLEY Hold Your Sawhorses! A furniture show and collection riffs on the similarity of the Portuguese words luxo (luxury) and lixo (rubbish). READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE Rising Currents Report on "Rising Currents," an exhibition of New York City design solutions to the flooding predicted by climate change experts, which will be on view at the Museum of Modern Art, March 24–August 9, 2010. READ MORE UPCOMING CONFERENCE: MAY 10, 2010 Design Research Conference 2010 Sponsored by IIT's Institute of Design, this 9th DRC will be a conversation about the new frontiers of design research. It will host the world's most compelling stories about the human condition and unmet needs. It will be a stimulating place to learn the most innovative new research methods. It will address the challenges facing the industry head on. Finally, it will continue to explore how design research can help us address the grand challenge of bringing meaningful things into the world. Other Resources Academic Programs >> Competitions >> Conferences & Events >> Fellowships & Prizes >> Organizations >> Programs & Initiatives >> Publications & Websites >> Social Networks >> RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean Roberto Verganti Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model John Mullins & Randy Komisar A Fine Line: How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business Hartmut Esslinger
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